Myrtle Beach City Council approves Arts and Innovation District

The Myrtle Beach City Council gave second and final reading Tuesday to a new Arts & Innovation zoning district for the downtown area. The new zone applies to 155 parcels on approximately 56 acres. It will help bring to life the new master plan for the downtown area. The goal is a walkable, mixed-use urban environment that will serve as a hub for artistic, cultural and civic activity in the traditional downtown area.

Permitted uses in the district include multifamily residential dwellings, offices, personal service establishments, lifestyle service establishments, personal health care services, fitness centers, arts and crafts studios, indoor recreation and entertainment, theaters, banquet halls and event spaces, specialty retail, convenience retail, restaurants and food halls, brewpubs and taverns, media establishments, small-scale manufacturing, dry cleaners, civic and government offices, religious establishments with a minimum lot size of 1.25 acres, schools, indoor and outdoor marketplaces and visitor accommodations. Vending machines and ATMs shall not be located outside.

Some of the features of the new Arts & Innovation zoning district include:

• No minimum parking requirements; the market will determine parking needs
• All businesses must be closed between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
• Signage quantity is based on the property’s principal frontage, with a maximum of 300 square feet of sign space to be applied in any location, with approval from the Community Appearance Board.
• At least 70 percent of the building wall between two feet and 10 feet of elevation shall be made of transparent glass to allow views into the interior space.
• The maximum building height is 80 feet.
• For parking garages, retail, restaurant or office space must be maintained on the first floor to a minimum depth of 30 feet and be directly accessible from the right-of-way.